The field report “The Vjosa | Save the Blue Heart of Europe” by Much Better Adventure from Sam Bruce is about the Vjosa and what does make it really special and important for the biodiversity in Europe. The Vjosa, one of the last wild ecosystems in Europe, runs for 270 kilometers, untamed and free-flowing. What makes this river internationally significant is that its tributaries are untouched too, creating a network of wild rivers unlike anywhere else in Europe. The planned hydropower projects in the Balkan region are funded by multilateral development banks and international commercial banks including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (ERBD), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the World Bank Group. This includes 37 projects in protected areas like national parks and Natura 2000 sites, as well as internationally recognized areas of high biodiversity value such as Important Bird Areas. Besides of all this environmental impacts there are social impacts as well. Along the Vjosa, many of the residents will be forced to leave. Not just because their houses have been flooded, but because the land off which they live will no longer be arable. Locals and the international community are fighting for the alternatives to hydropower plants such as wind power and solar power, which provides a lot of benefits.
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